The Analysis|What Kinda Shopper Are You?

Mostly As – An abundance of possessions

motivation: having it now

your house is stuffed with clothes, accessories and bits and pieces of every kind. you don’t know how to deny yourself anything. all that counts is the fleeting present moment, where you can satisfy all your desires and get your hands on all the things you want. ask yourself whether this issue might be something that goes back to your childhood. was everything about making you happy? an upbringing in which the child is treated like a little prince or princess can result in adults who are impulsive or compulsive consumers. or it can work the other way: perhaps you treat yourself now because you suffered deprivation as a child. compulsive shoppers also compensate for what they feel they’re missing out on in their private or professional lives, in which case, shopping offers a form of release.

how to chang? jot down everything you buy each day, and record whether the item brought you lasting pleasure or not, whether it was useful or not, whether you were happy with it or not. then decide how you felt as you made each purchase. for example, if you bought two pairs of shoes after an argument at work, describe the dominant emotion you felt at the time. the aim is to be able to identify real desires and emotions so that you can learn how to be a more careful consumer.

Mostly Vs – A need for validation

Motivation: other people must admire you

you drive an Audi convertible, favour Prada over Primark(soog ilma3alem) and your cupboards are stuffed of gourmet coffee. your motto is ‘the best or nothing’ and your idea of ‘the best’ is anything rare, expensive or elite. you hate the idea of buying mass-produced items or drowning in poor quality, own-brand goods. your high standards and social ambition are no doubt hiding a painful past, which you still feel keenly, a childhood spent in the shadow of a brilliant older sibling, parents who didn’t pay you much attention, or even told you that you were stupid or would not amount to anything. perhaps they pointed out your faults while ignoring your good qualities. now you’re an adult, you want to rebuild your self-image, and you do so by focusing on the outward trappings of social status: appearance and possessions.

How you can change: List your best qualities, or ask people who love you for who you are rather than who you seem to be to tell you what they most like about you. then take an inventory of all your interpersonal relationships and think about what is most important to you and what moves you. you’ll find the truth if you do some inner searching.

Mostly Cs – You shop to cheer yourself up

Motivation: you don’t want to go without

you cupboards are full to bursting. the shelves are heaving. you buy basics but also pre-prepared food and snacks aimed at children, such as nibbles, sweets, ice cream and chocolate. when you fill up your stomach you are comforting yourself. the void is really there, painful and recurring, driving you towards food or shopping. the ritual of shopping cures nothing – quite the opposite: it feeds the delusion. you know deep down that you can can’t fill a spiritual void by buying or eating food. you obsession with food coul also be explained by a lack of material wealth, in the past or present.

How you can change: learn to tell the difference between full and empty. at what point fo you consider your cupboards or fridge to be empty? what do you actually consume in a week? make a note of everything you throw out or unused as long as you can remember. it would be difficult to address the causes of this behavior without seeking to identify the reason behind you feel hurt in the first place. perhaps the best way to do this would be to seek help from a professional.

Mostly Ps – A need to perform

Motivation: not to be left alone

you like to buy gadgets because technology reassures you. speed, mobility and performance are what you’re looking for. the gadgets you collect are meant to demonstrate that you are competent and reliable. whether you’re doing DIY, cooking or working, your greatest fear is being pushed aside or overlooked. a rigid upbringing centered on competition and results can lead to a passion for high-tech products because the dominant message you received in your childhood was to work hard and produce results. an emotionally cold family home can also be the cause of an individual seeking machines for company rather than other human beings, as can an upbringing in a family that failed to make the child feel secure.

How you can change: spend a weekend engaging in human interaction without allowing yourself to be distracted by technology. while you are thinking about this, focus on how you feel and the memories that surface. the aim is to identify areas where you are not in touch with your emotions, so you can become more ‘human’ in how you feel and express yourself.

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This entry was posted on September 19, 2010 by moe. It was filed under general, thoughts .